Coupler



Nov. 22, 1927, 1,650,366

- I N. KURTTI v COUPLER Filed April 7. 1925 Patented Nov. 22, 1927.

PATENT oFFicE.

NATHAN KURTTI, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

COUPLER.

Application filed April 7,1925. Serial No. 21,351.

The present invention relates to couplers for vehicles and is especially adapted for railroad cars.

Objects of the invention are simplicity of construction and operation; effectiveness and adaptibi-lity to various conditions.

Another object to provide a device the mechanism of which will not be exposed to the elements and which will not become lodged or jammed by ice or other foreign substances.

A still further object to provide for the safe operation of the mechanism of the coupler by an attendant or brakeman.

Other objects and advantages will appear from the following specification taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan View of the coupler with the top removed, showing the jaws in open position ready to grasp the head of a coupler pin. 7

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig.1 showing the jaws closed and grasping the head of the coupler pin.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the de vice on line 3-3, Fig. 2, showing the cover of the casing in place.

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view on line 44:, Fig. 2, showing the relation of the sliding block to the slideway and to the jaws.

Fig. 5 shows a modified form of coupler pin.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary side elevation of the modified pin.

Referring to'the drawings in detail, the same reference characters designate the same parts in all figures of the drawings, 10 designates a casing adapted to be attached to the end of a car; said casing having a bottom 11, side members 12, which may be curved at one end to form end .members 13, said end members falling short of meeting and forming an aperture 14 therebetween. 15 is a top detachably secured on the side members 12, by means of bolts 16.

Secured to the bottom 11 by means of pivot pins 17 are a pair of members 18 having jaws 19 at their forward end which are preferably provided with curved recesses 20' adapted to around the shank of acoupier pin. Projecting from the pivoted members 18 rearwardly of the pivot points and extending toward each other are lugs 21 having fiat surfaces 22 adapted to lie in the same plane when the jaws are closed about the shank of the coupler pin. The top and bottom of the casing are formed with depressions 23 and 24 providing a slideway for a. slide block 25. The said slideway extending rearwardly in the casing far enough for the block when moved to its rearrnost position to rotate the lugs 21 to the position shown in Fig. 2 thereby closing the jaws. By this arrangement it will appear that a coupler pin secured to one car striking against the block 25 of another when the jaws 19 are set to open position as shown in Fig. 1 will thereby cause the jaws to close coupling the cars together without any attention on the part of the brakeman.

In order that the jaws may be manipulated to or from open position, the rear ends of the members 18 are respectively connected to two arms 26 and 27 of a toggle 29, the third arm being connected to a crank 30 secured to a crank shaft- 31 extending transversely of the casing and projecting beyond the sides thereof. The ends of shaft 31 has secured'thereto handles 32 for rotating the shaft in its bearings.

In order that the pin after being secured in the draw head of one car may be brought at the proper level to enter the draw head casing of another car with which the first named car is to be connected, and be grasped by the jaws after entering the end of the casing, a block 33 is provided which I prefer to call a safety device; the said block being secured to a shaft 34. This shaft is rotatably mounted transversely of the forward end of the casing 10 and is provided, at its ends, with handles35 similar to the handles 32 on shaft 31. The block 33 is preferably arranged so that when lying-in one position the upper surface will be in. the same plane asthe bottom of the casing. The operation of my safety block 33 is as'follows. The pin 38 is first connected to the draw head of one car and is held by the jaws .19. The safety block 33 of that draw head is then set with the shoulder 36 at right angles to the pin to hold the pin in proper position to enter the draw head casing of the car to which the first mentioned car is to be coupled. The setting of the draw pin may thus be accomplished without danger to the operator. The block 33 is preferably provided with a shoulder 36 extending longitudinally thereof and adapted to rest on a corresponding shoulder 37 formed in the bottom of the casing.

The coupler pin is preferably of the 'form shown in Figs. 1 and 2 having a cylindrical shank 38 and shouldered heads 39 at each end. Such a coupler when used is reversible thereby facilitating the manipulation there- The heads 39 are preferably semispherical and the block is preferably provided with a sen'iispherical depression 40 in which the end of the pin rests when the head is rasped by the jaws.

In order to adapt the device for use with cars equipped for link coup'lers a coupler such as illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6 may be provided having a head 39 at one end and a link 89 at the opposite end.

the pivotal points, a block slidable within the casing between the gripping members and adapted to be moved rearwardly into contact with said lugs to close thejaws when pressure is exerted thereon by the coupler pin, said block resting snugly between the head of the pin and the lugs and between the gripping members when the latter are in gripping position.

NATHAN KURTTI. 

